How to setup a Microsoft SQL Server ODBC Data Source

Background
An ODBC Data Source consists of a descriptive name that you provide and a SQL Server database that it represents. Applications that can utilize ODBC Data Sources will allow you to identify the source of data using the name that you assign. Event 1 applications access the SQL Server databases via ODBC without the need to define a Data Source. This topic is therefore provided for the purpose of utilizing ODBC functionality outside of Event 1 applications. One application of this would be for testing the operation of the ODBC driver to confirm whether it is functioning as expected on a given workstation.

Steps

Click Start and then Run, or while holding down the Windows key on the keyboard, press R. This will bring up the Run box.

In the Open box, type one of these two paths depending on whether your operating environment is 32-bit or 64-bit and then click OK:

32-bit: C:\Windows\System32\odbcad32.exe

64-bit: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe

NOTE - You may receive a User Account Control prompt at this point. If so, enter the login credentials for a user with administrator permissions on the local machine.

On the User DSN tab, click Add

In the Create New Data Source window, scroll down the list of drivers, select SQL Server and click Finish. The Create New Data Source to SQL Server window will appear.

In the Name box, enter a unique name. Example: MySQLData

In the Description box, enter a description for your data source.

In the Server box, click the drop-down and select the SQL Server where your database is stored.